Bound
by Jules7
Summary: “We are bonded in a way no magic can break and no span of time can change." Companion piece to "Strawberry Wine".


TITLE: Bound  
  
AUTHOR: Jules  
  
RATING: PG-13-mild (extremely mild) R for slight sexual situations  
  
DISCLAIMER: Anything you recognize belongs to someone else, namely either JK Rowling or Mindy McCready.  
  
SUMMARY: "We were bonded in a way no magic could break and no span of time could change." Companion piece—of sorts—to "Strawberry Wine".  
  
  
  
A/N: I was thinking over the lyrics to "Strawberry Wine" (yes, I know I've already used it—bear with me) and realized that my favorite line would make a lovely fic. The story here doesn't even really relate to the lyric—"Is it really him or the loss of my innocence, I've been missing so much?" That's what's odd about it. It just gave me the idea for a reflection of sorts on Hermione's part.  
  
  
  
For Jennifer, who, though she doesn't know it, inspires me every day to be a better writer—and a better person.  
  
  
  
  
  
I don't think it's ever been so quiet at the Burrow.  
  
It's late—the middle of the night, and everyone is sleeping somewhere. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are tucked away in their bed. Bill, Charlie, Fred and George are asleep in Bill and Charlie's old room. I'm sure Harry has already sneaked off to Ginny's room and is taking advantage of my absence. I assume Ron is asleep—I've not heard a peep out of him since my goodnight kiss an hour or so ago. Restless and unable to sleep, I wander out into the backyard.  
  
The moon shimmers so brightly in the sky, it shocks me with its brilliance. Clearing my mind and breathing deeply, I set off down the winding path to the stream behind the house, letting instinct guide me. No rational thought, no purpose in mind…it's nice to just roam.  
  
The Weasley's property is so beautiful—the further I walk, the more wild and unkempt it becomes. Flowers of all shades and styles bloom along the path, and I hear the rustle of rabbits moving in the brush. Meandering around the bend in the trail, I spy the stream and the great willow tree. A smile, unbidden, crosses my face, and I walk down to the tree.  
  
Memories of one of the greatest crossroads of my life flood my mind as I settle in the grass at the edge of the water. This was the place where I'd made one of the biggest choices of my young life.  
  
Here, I'd given my body to the man who already owned my heart.  
  
Ron and I made love for the first time right here. Here, in the soft, fresh grass, I laid down and laid bare my body and my soul. Here, by the quietly flowing water, I let Ron's hands and mouth explore and claim me. Here, under the glow of the moon, our bodies became one.  
  
Yes, I definitely have good memories of this place.  
  
And now, with the warm summer breeze blowing over my skin, caressing and sweet, I can almost feel Ron's arms around me.  
  
And I smile.  
  
Never have I felt so settled, so calm, so blessed.  
  
He fulfills me.  
  
He is the other half of my soul.  
  
As such, I can feel him. Sense him. I know when he's happy, sad, and frightened.  
  
I also know when he's nearby. Which he is.  
  
His hand lands on my head, smoothing over my hair. "Sweetheart? What are you doing out here?"  
  
I smile again, the rich sound of his voice washing over me and settling against me like a blanket of warmth. "Thinking. Remembering. Wondering."  
  
He sits behind me, his arms wound around me, holding me against him. "About what?"  
  
I turn to face him and almost drown in his brilliant blue eyes all over again. "Do you remember, Ron? This place, that night?"  
  
He smiles and nods. "How could I forget? The way it felt to hold you, skin to skin, to know that we were bonded and bound that way…nothing before or since has been so good, except for every other time we've done that." The laughter in his voice is obvious—and contagious. I laugh with him, and he tightens his embrace. Still shaking with mirth, he nestles his face in my hair, his lips wandering over the nape of my neck. His hands stroke my warm skin tenderly, and I release myself to the feeling, reveling in his love and goodness.  
  
We make love again, right there where we first joined that hot July night a year ago. And it's just as good as it ever was.  
  
Later, I ask him what woke him and brought him outside. He smiles enigmatically and says, "You were out here. I don't know how I knew it. I just did."  
  
I knew exactly how he knew it. The connection between us is so strong that even in separation, we felt each other. We were bonded in a way no magic could break and no span of time could change.  
  
Love truly is the greatest bond of all. 


End file.
